Sunday, April 12, 2015

Icelandic Redwings

according to the Migration Atlas the Icelandic Redwing population is only 100,000 - 300,000 pairs and is appears that all the birds winter in Ireland, western Scotland or western France and Iberia; there has never been a ringing recovery from England or Wales -- they are to my eyes a very distinctive bird - we say at least 1500 and probably 2000 in the early part of the week after which there was a big clear out on the Wednesday night before the frontal system approached on the Thursday -- this leucistic bird was a bit of a heart stopper when it flew up from the roadside